WOYWW

Happy Wednesday everyone and that can only mean one thing....time to go for a snoop around everyone's desks!

I didn't have much on mine today so I thought I'd take a piccie of a corner of my cabin. 

Looking at this, I realise that I have a terrible paper habit!  I just can't stop buying it and then don't want to use it as it's too nice.  I really must "have a word with myself!"
If that was all the paper it wouldn't be as bad but I've also got a tall paper rack on another wall and my cardstock is stored on another wall!  Repeat after me..."you're a bad person and it's only paper so just use it!!!"

As it's Wednesday, it's also my day on the Creative Studios Design Team blog.  Here's what I've come up with for this week.  It's also a project that I'll be teaching at a workshop in September at Martells in Cliftonville.

I've used the "Art Houses, Art Flower and Wise Friends" sets of stamps from Creative Studios.  There's step by step instructions on the blog and the link is Sam Poole Designs on the right of this page.

So, now in to today's travel photo.

This is St David's Cathedral in Wales.  St David's is the smallest city in the UK.  It's also true that it rains a lot in Wales but the grass is always lush and green!

That's about it for today.  Many thanks for visiting and thank you to those who have signed up as followers.  We're creeping towards the 300 mark and then I'll draw the blog candy winner.  Also thanks for all the wonderful comments.  I'll try to visit as many of you as I can.  I seem to always get to about 90 before real life comes along and drags me kicking and screaming back into the real world!
So Until next time, have a happy, crafty (and possibly sunny) week!

Craft Stamper, New Stamps and Sunday Stamper

I've got a lovely new set of stamps to play with sent to me by the very generous Sam Poole!  Then I thought, what could be better than to play with them and make another entry for the Craft Stamper competition!  Then I thought, I could also make this for the Sunday Stamper on Hels blog!!

I do love the layered triple embossing technique so it was all the excuse I needed!

I thought I'd make a card using it this time and here's the finished project.

I've done a step by step so here goes....

I started by covering a piece of white card with Perfect Medium and built up layers of UTEE.  I've used Silver, Gold and Bronze as a base.  Next I pushed a scouring pad into the Perfect Medium and dabbed it onto the card and applied some Vintage Golden White Cosmic Shimmer Embossing Powder.  While it was still hot, I used a teaspoon to sprinkle a little black powder on. 
I've also used a mask to apply some Lava Red powder.

The next step was to stamp the Art Collage A6 stamp over the top with Royal Purple StazOn.  I've stamped randomly and gone off the edge.  After that, I've edged it with Eco Green Black Acrylic Paint.

I used the Creative Expressions Lattice Embossing Folder for the black card and applied Vintage Plum Gilding Wax around the edges.  Once the Gilding Wax is dry, give it a polish and stick the main panel onto the black card then onto the DL card.

I stamped a tag with the Art Collage stamp using Seedless Preserves Distress Ink and heat embossed it with clear powder then ran it through the Lattice Embossing Folder before distressing the edges with the same ink.

The next stage is to colour a piece of card for the flowers.  For this, I "smooshed" the same Distress Ink onto my craft sheet and spritzed it with water.  Dab the card (I've used Coconut White) into the ink and dry.  Then dab and dry again and finally spritz with water and dab with some kitchen towel to remove some ink.  Dry then stamp the flowers.  The stamp set I've used is Steampunk Flowers and I've stamped them with black Archival Ink.

Cut the flowers out and dip one of the smaller ones into clear UTEE in a Melt Pot (or Perfect Medium and embossing powder if you don't have a Melt Pot).
To finish, glue the flowers on and add some gems and a Dazzler.

I had a lot of fun making this and really hope you like it!
The stamps I used are by Sam Poole at Creative Studios (the link is on the right).

No travel photo today as there are so many photo's for the step by step but I'll be back tomorrow for WOYWW as well as on the Creative Studios Design Team blog with a new project.  Hope to see you there!!

Many thanks for visiting and leaving your comments.

No Excuses!

What can I say but sorry!  I've been a bad blogger over the last few days but here I am, large as life and twice as messy!

I thought I'd get my Cosmic Shimmer Misters out to play with (hence the twice as messy!).  I don't know how I manage to get as much on me as on the card but I do love them!

Anyway, here's what I came up with.  I just wish that you could see the shine properly.

I started off by spritzing the background with Meadow Lush and Golden Fish Misters.  I dried it then blotted it into the mist that was left on the craft sheet.
The owl (from Wise Friends) was stamped and heat embossed then coloured with Cosmic Shimmer Drawing Inks.  I've used colours from a few different sets.  The ones I chose are Set 2, Brights Garden, Set 3, Jewels and Set 6, Natures Essentials.  It's important to heat emboss when you're using the drawing inks as they will cover the black outline and make it look "muddy".

On the background I've stamped some trees from the Enchanted Souls stamp set with Black Archival Ink.
I've also distressed the edges of the background with Vintage Photo.
Before matting and layering, I've tied some raffia around the card and when after placing it on the main card, I've attached the owl with 3d foam pads.
The sentiment is also from the Wise Friends stamp set and I've stamped in with Black Archival Ink and heat embossed with clear powder.
The stamps I've used are by Sam Poole at Creative Studios, see the link on the right.

Now on to today's travel photo!

Somewhere really near home....it's my lovely hubby performing at Broadstairs Folk Festival.  The festival has been going for about 46 years and I've been going for 20 of them.  It's a terrific festival that takes over the town for a week every August and they have wonderful performers and workshops.  If you like Morris Dancing, there are sides dancing along the seafront every day.  And of course, there's always the beach if the music gets too much!

Well, that's my lot for now.  I'm off to the craft cabin to play.  Hope you all have a happy, sunny, crafty day and I'll be back soon.  Many thanks for stopping by and leaving comments, I really enjoy reading them.

Craft Stamper

Good Morning Bloggers.  Well this is a surprise, me blogging 2 days in a row!

There is a reason for it and the clue is in the blog title!

I was merrily flicking through my new Craft Stamper magazine when I saw a layered embossing technique.  It looked so cool that I had to give it a try.  Then I saw that Craft Stamper have a competition running to enter your efforts using this technique so here's mine!

I started by covering a wall hanging with Eco Green White Acrylic Paint and made sure it was dry before coating the whole piece with Perfect Medium. 
I've put various colours of Cosmic Shimmer Ultra Thick Embossing Powder on it in gradients allowing some of the colours to blend where they meet.
The colours I used were Lapis Sapphire, Blue Raspberry, Midnight Blue, Arctic Lake and Tropic Pearl.  After heating embossing the whole piece, I've smeared some more Perfect Medium onto it and added more colour.

The next stage was to ink through a mask with Perfect Medium again and heat emboss using Cosmic Shimmer True White Powder.  I've stamped a few images with Black Archival Ink in the background from the Dandelion Wished stamp set from Creative Expressions.

The next step was to stamp some sentiments from Art Sayings and a large dot background stamp onto single ply tissue using Black Archival Ink.  I applied the tissue to the wall hanging using Beeswax that I had melted in my Melt Pot.  The stamps used are by Sam Poole at Creative Studios.
I edged the whole think with Eco Green Black Acrylic Paint applied using a piece of Cut 'n Dry Foam.

I die cut some of the Spellbinder D Lite dies in black card and stuck them on with Cosmic Shimmer Dries Clear Glue.

The final steps were to make up some 3d roses and some flowers using the Spellbinder Carnation Creations Dies, stamp some leaves from the Wise Friend stamps and dip all of them into clear UTEE (again using the Melt Pot).

To finish, I added a metal embellishment made up from small bits and pieces I had in my stash and Creative Expressions ribbons tied around the string hanger.
I do hope you like it, the photo isn't the best as it really doesn't show the shine of the layered embossing.

That's all for today as it was a marathon step by step!
Until next time, have a happy, crafty day!

WOYWW

Well fellow bloggers, here we are again.  Another Wednesday has snuck up on us and we're showing our desks in all their glory!

In spite of my repeated promises to myself to tidy up it still hasn't happened, maybe next week!  So here it is!!

As you can see, there are assorted ribbons, Spellbinder dies, masks and embossing folders as well as sample cards for upcoming workshops.  The brown drawers in the background have stamps in and on the shelves is my collection of cardstock.  I just noticed some ribbon weaving on there as well!

Now on to more pleasant matters!  Here's this weeks project for the Creative Studios Design Team Blog.

 

I've used the Enchanted Souls set of stamps for this one and I've posted a full step by step on the Creative Studios blog so I won't so it again on here.  The link is on the right, just click on Sam Poole.

 

A couple of weeks ago I had a chipboard mini book lurking on my desk and some of you said that you'd like to see the finished thing.  Well, I did finish it and it's on yesterday's post if anyone is interested.  It took a while to do as I wanted to use a lot of stamps that I haven't played with for a long time.  I was quite pleased with how it came out though.

 

So now for today's travel photo.  I've been researching the family tree and found out that this is where my great, great grandparents were married and my great grandfather was christened.  It's the Parish Church in a town called Ibstock in Leicestershire.  It seems as though we lived there from the 1500's.

 

Anyway, that's it for today.  Many thanks for visiting and all the lovely comments.  I'll try to visit as many of you as I can.
Don't forget the blog candy!!

It's Finally Finished!

A couple of weeks ago a little chipboard book was seen lurking on my desk in the picture I took for WOYWW.  It was a blank that I bought in sale ages ago for the princely sum of 30p (yep, last of the big spenders I am)!

Anyway, here is the finished result!  All of the pages have been covered with Graphic45 papers as I love them and I've cut out some of the images from the paper to decorate.

The front cover of the book has a message stamp from Steampunk Dreams by Sam Poole.  The flower and leaves are Studio 490  and are stamped onto Grungepaper. I found the alphabets in my stash and I've coloured everything with Distress Inks. 



These are pages 2&3.  I've used stamps from Steampunk Dreams and Vintage Photography.  I've also used the "Dream Big" stamp from the Art Houses set of stamps.

Page 4 uses stamps from Vintage Inventor and an A6 stamp set with different tickets on.

Page 5 is the Vintage Sewing Set.

Pages 6 and 7.  I've used stamps from the Tim Holtz Classics 6 set of stamps and also used gilding wax on some of the images.  The 3 butterflies are from Steampunk Dreams and the message is from Art Houses.
There's also a metal corner embellishment by Creative Expressions, some punched butterflies and paper flowers with black pearls from my stash.

And so on to the back page which has stamps from Vintage Treasures, a TH pen nib and another ticket from the A6 stamp set.  I've also put another piccie of the front page here without all the ribbon and the book rings.

It was a lot of fun digging out stamps that I haven't used for a while and hopefully, this little book will remind me that I have them!  Unless I've stated otherwise, all of the stamps are by Sam Poole at Creative Studios.

As there are so many photos on today's posting I'm going to leave the travel photo until next time.  Until then, have a happy crafty day and thanks for visiting.

Happy Father's Day

Would someone please explain why your nearest and dearest think that it's a good idea to ask you to make a card and then say they need it in an hour!

I had my morning planned for yesterday.  Make OH a Father's Day card and finish a DT piece I was working on.  But no, youngest daughter suddenly realised that she and her partner hadn't got a card for partners dad and could I just "knock" one up.  Oh, and it has to have a shed on it!!

Anyway, rising to the challenge like any determined crafter, this is what I came up with.

I found a picture of a shed on Google Images that was copyright free then went to my good old Serif programme!
I chose a background and a frame, then dropped the photo into the frame.  The letters are also printed using Serif as are the birds.  Just to give it a hand made look, I stamped the flower and leaves then coloured them in with Copic pens.  The stamps are from the Artistic Stamper.  The flower has been mounted onto the card with 3d foam pads.  Not too bad given the time frame and that it had to have a shed on it!

I'm still playing with my journaling and having a ball getting very inky and finding odd things to stick in it!  Here's my latest page!

I've used a mopping up technique to create the background.  Basically, you just clean whatever you've been using on a previous page onto a new one and see what you get!  Definitely my type of crafting...you don't waste anything!!

Now for todays travel photo.

I thought I'd take you the market in Belem, Brazil today and to the fish stall.  The guy at the back had actually fallen asleep and looked so peaceful amongst all of the fish.  I suppose you could say he was sleeping with the fishes (to give it a Mafia turn of phrase!!)

Well, that's all for today.  We're being taken out to lunch for a Father's Day treat.  Great being a Mum as I get to go too!!

Until next time, have a happy, crafty time and may thanks for visiting.

Trying to be Organised!

Good Morning Bloggers! 

I'm trying very hard to get into an organised mode (not easy for me!) and finish prepping the final workshop of the year.  I know it isn't until November but what with music festivals in the summer and prepping for a cruise I'm teaching on, the year will fly past.

So, I'm sorry if I upset anyone, but I'm going to mention the dreaded "C" word again!  Yes, I'm "doing" Christmas!!

Well, here's the card I've come up with.  It's a nice quick one as in the workshop we do 2 long and 2 short projects (we run out of time it we don't!)

To make the card, I've cut an aperture in a 6x6 card using the Small Classic Square Spellbinder Die.  Using the same die and a larger one, I've cut a frame.  The frame has been coloured using Distress Inks and stamped with Black Archival Ink.
I glued a piece of acetate to the card and glued the frame over the top.
Using the square of card cut from the centre, I've cut another shape using a Spellbinder die and coloured it using Distress Inks.  I've used Dusty Concord, Broken China and Faded Jeans and I've blended them together. 
I stamped the pear from Sam Poole's "Partridge in a Pear Tree" stamp set (the stamp on the frame is from the same set) with Black Archival ink and heat embossed it with clear powder.  A little tip....use an anti-static bag before stamping the pear as the Distress Inks take a long time to dry and will hold on to the embossing powder.

I cut another matching shape out and glued the stamped one to the front of the acetate and the plain white one directly behind it to hide all the gluey mess.  Then it's just a message stamped on the front and you're good to go!

Hope you like it!

Now for todays travel photo....where shall we go today!

These are the "Standing Stones of Stennes" in the Orkney Islands.  They're a Neolithic monument and quite beautiful against the windswept background.

Well, that's all for today.  Have a very happy crafty week until we meet again in Blogland!  Many thanks for visiting.

WOYWW

Good Morning All, it's that time of the week again when we get the chance to have a snoop around other crafters desks!  A very big than you to Ms Dunnit for organising this marathon every single week.

Anyway, here goes with yet another example of a messy workspace.  One day I will surprise everyone and it will look pristine!

Following the weekend journaling workshops at the Artistic Stamper in Faversham, I have embraced all things splodgy, inky, painty and generally messy (no change there!)
This is a journal page that we started at the workshop and here is what I did with it today.

No, I don't know what it means either!  I'm not sure what it says about me, but I'm sure that a psychoanalyst would have a field day!!

I've been playing with Sam Poole's fab stamps again for the Creative Studios Design Team Blog and have come up with this one.

I've used the Art Flower A5 Unmounted Stamp set, Cosmic Shimmer Misters and Distress Inks.  There's a full step by step on the Creative Studios blog (didn't want to put it on twice) and the link is on the right...just click on Sam Poole Designs and go to the Design Team header.

In other news, it was very strange seeing things I had made on Sam's shows on Create and Craft....they summed up my designs as "quirky"....I think I'll take that as a compliment!!

Now for todays travel photo.

Somewhere a little closer to home this time.  We always go to the Larmer Tree Music Festival and this is what it was like last year.  It was so muddy that my wellies split along the seam.  We've booked again for this year so fingers crossed!!

Anyway, that's it for today.  Many thanks for stopping by and leaving comments, I do appreciate them.  I'll try to get to as many desks as possible over the next couple of days, I managed 90 last week so apologise if I didn't get to yours!
Just to say that the blog candy is still up for grabs and will be drawn when I get to 300 followers.  Until next time, have a happy and crafty week.

Art Journalling

Wow, what a weekend I've had with the mega talented Dyan Reavely!  I've never tried art journaling before and when I saw an advert for a full weekend of workshops at the Artistic Stamper in Faversham with Dyan, I knew I'd have to treat myself (because I'm worth it!!!)

It was non-stop inkiness for 2 whole days as my still very inky fingers (and clothes) will testify.  I always think that if you can't take a joke you shouldn't sign up!

Anyway, here are a few near completed pages from the journal I started at the weekend.

The start of a page.  Lots of Dylusion Spray Inks and stamps with some masking.

And how it looked when it was finished!

A couple more that I haven't quite finished yet.

I think the main thing I learned was to let go and not try to be so precise.....just to go with the flow.

Well, that's all for today.  I'll be back on Wednesday for WOYWW and my new DT project for Creative Studios (did you catch Sam's shows on C&C on Saturday...she is so talented).  Until then, have a happy, crafty few days and many thanks for visiting.

Is It Too Early?

Good Morning All.  Is it too early to talk about Christmas?

It's been on my mind over the past week as I prepping for some November workshops and, trying to come up with ideas now that the sun is finally shining, has been a real challenge!  I'm really pleased that I've come up with 4 very different designs and thought I'd show you one today (on the hottest day of the year so far!).

I like to teach different techniques at the workshops and have been threatening them with a brayer for quite a while now!

I started with a square of gloss card, cut a circle from a post it note to use as a mask and kept the outer from the mask.
I masked off an area for the moon and picked up some Broken China Distress Ink on the brayer.  You need to remove the excess ink from the brayer before you start.  Roll the inked brayer diagonally across the card and build up the layers of ink until you're happy with the result leaving about
a third clear.  Repeat the process with the 2nd colour of ink (I've used Wild Honey Distress Ink).

Remove the mask and use the outer from it to protect around the edge.  Pick up a little Wild Honey Distress Ink and lightly colour the moon leaving a little bit of white in one area.  Go back over the outer edges of the moon to give definition.

I've used Sam Poole's (Creative Studios) lovely set of stamps called Winter Wonderland and stamped the trees and stars with Black Archival Ink.  I've also used a white highlighter pen to add some dots of white in the sky and to highlight some of the stars. To finish, I've matted and layered and added some Creative Expressions 8mm self adhesive black pearls.  Hope you like it (and hope the ladies at the workshop like it too!)  I must thank Barbara Gray for reminding me of this technique....my head is so full of "new stuff" that I sometimes forget the "old stuff"!

We're back off to another auction today.  I saw listed 2, what they are calling, little banjos.  I'm hoping that they're banjo ukuleles (think George Formby!).  I fancy playing one as the chords are the same as the ukulele.  Did I forget to tell you that is my secret vice!

Now on to todays travel photo...where shall we go today?

How about a little island called Nuku Hiva in French Polynesia.  It's a little dot on the map in the Pacific.  Talking about the ukulele reminded me of it.  We (me and the "better half") were booked to teach ukulele on a cruise ship sailing from Tahiti to Peru last year and this was one of the ports of call.  Surprising where a ukulele can take you!

Well, that's all for today.  Lots to do as apart from the auction I'm determined to finish my mini book today and I also need to pack a back to take to this weekends journaling workshop being run by the fabulous Dyan Reavelly at The Artistic Stamper in Faversham.  Hurrah....finally a workshop near home!  Don't forget that Sam Poole is on Create & Craft tomorrow (Stamping with Creative Expressions) and will be showing the Wise Owl and Enchanted Trees stamp sets.  I'll be back soon so until then, have a happy, crafty weekend and many thanks for visiting and leaving comments.

WOYWW

Good Morning and a very happy WOYWW!  Wasn't last week terrific!!  I tried to get around as many desks as possible but time ran out and I can only apologise to those I didn't get to.

Time waits for no man etc. so here we are, another week on and my desk still hasn't shown much sign of improvement!

I found a chipboard book I'd bought in a sale about 3 years ago for 30p lurking in the back of a cupboard so thought I should start to do something with it.  I've only got as far as covering it with some Graphic 45 papers so far.  I have used some of the paper to cut out the pictures to decorate parts of it.  The stamps on the desk are the Art Houses from Creative Studios.  Not sure if they are going in the book yet but wanted to colour them in!!

What I have been working on though, is my next DT project for Creative Studios using the Wise Owl set of stamps.  I just can't stop using them!

I'm posting the full step by step on the Creative Studios blog this morning so I won't do it on here as well (hope you don't mind!)  The background is Alcohol Inks and the owl is coloured in with Copics to give you some idea.  Hope you like it and it is a nice quick card to make.
Sam will be demoing the Wise Owl and Enchanted Tree stamp sets on Create and Craft this Saturday (8th) and you might just recognise a few of the samples!!

Now for today's travel photo!

These are the giant waterlillies that grow in the Amazon.  They really are quite spectacular and I just wish that the photo did them justice.

Please don't forget the blog candy...I really would like to draw out a winner!  It's easy to enter, just sign up as a follower and when I reach 300 I'll draw a winner for the Paper Artsy stamps and Tim Holtz mini mask.

That's all for today, I'll try and get to as many of you as possible over the next couple of days.  As always, many thanks for visiting and leaving all your lovely comments.

Have a happy and crafty day!

Congratulations!

 I've been thinking about making a wedding card as my step-son is getting married in October.

I know that this card isn't right for the happy couple (they need something a bit "dafter"!) but it was good fun to make and would be ideal for a Golden Wedding Anniversary.

I've used gilding flakes in several different ways for the card.

The straight lines are gilding flakes on double sided tape which works really well.  I then used some flake and glitter glue on a mask for the "crocodile skin" area then pressed the mask down.  After removing the mask, apply the gilding flakes.  I call it that as I'm not sure what the name of the mask is!  Do make sure that you give the mask a good wash in warm, soapy water after doing this.

The message and swirl are stamps.  I've used a piece of Cut 'n Dry foam to apply the flake and glitter glue to the stamp (just like inking a stamp up), stamped it then applied the gilding flakes.  Again, don't forget to wash the stamps!  I cut the shape with a Spellbinder die.

The stick pins have also been re-coloured with gilding flakes.  They started life as a cream pearl colour but after rubbing some of the glue on them, I dipped them in the tub of gilding flakes and rubbed off the excess. 

The pearls around the edge of the card are made from Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Glue...I think it was Olympic Gold.  All of the products used are from Creative Expressions and Creative Studios.

The BBQ on Saturday was lovely, always nice to meet up with the family.  However, the weather wasn't so kind.  Luckily there was enough time to cook the food before the rain started.  The weather forecasters never get it right, they said sunshine all day!

And now for todays travel photo.

We were lucky enough to go on a catamaran trip out to visit the turtles in Barbados.  We were allowed to snorkel with them as long as we didn't touch them.  The guide is the one holding the turtle, they seemed to know him and came straight to him for food.

Well, that's all for today.  Many thanks for visiting and your very kind comments, they are much appreciated.
Don't forget the blog candy!!  Happy crafting.

Playing with Dies

Good Morning All and a very happy 1st June.  Let's hope the weather realises that it's nearly summer and starts to warm up!

I've been playing with my Spellbinder Dies for the last couple of days.  I seem to have "runs" on using things, one day it's the Melt Pot then another it's Acrylic Paint and so on.  Are you the same?

Anyway, here's one of the cards that I came up with.

First of all, I made the coloured paper by smooshing around a couple of colours of Distress Paints which I spritzed with water then dried.  I've overstamped it with Sam Poole's Honeycomb A6 background stamp using Black Archival Ink.

The flowers have been cut using the Carnation Spellbinder Dies and the other die used is the Lattice.

The white background has been embossed (can't remember which embossing folder...doh!).  The message is a stamp from Creative Expressions which has been edged with a black Copic pen, then matted and layered onto a piece of the patterned paper.

It's such a pretty and easy card to make and I can still get messy and inky!

We're off to a family BBQ today so here's hoping that "The Sun has got his Hat On!"

I do hope you've been popping over to Sam's Creative Studio's blog.  The DT members have been coming up with some gorgeous purple tree creations this week.  Give a few people the same stamp and it's fascinating to see all the different ways it's used, that's the great thing about stamping!

Today's travel photo!  I thought I'd take you back to Brazil!

One of the children in the village we visited thought we'd like to see her "pet".  Yes, it's real!!  No, I don't think I want one...I'll stick to cats and dogs if it's all the same!!

On that happy note, I'll say goodbye and thank you for visiting and leaving your wonderful comments.  Until next time, have a happy and crafty day.